The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2 novel Chapter 145

PART 22

Mark and his family Translocated to Alilia’s home in Heartwood, where Caria was impatiently waiting to begin dressing the wedding party.

An hour later they were ready, and took a moment to admire each other’s appearances.

Mark and Six’s hair was brushed smoothly back and tied at the nape of their necks with matching gold clasps. Both of them had hair over sixty centimeters long, and their ponytails streamed down their backs.

Talia, Alilia, Fire, and Val all had their long hair bound up with subtle pins and clips into beautiful and formal mounds and waves, and their coloring had been expertly enhanced to accentuate their delicate beauty.

All six wore matching clothing; the form-fitting black velvet pants and high black leather boots, white silk blouse, and sweeping ankle-length black velvet cape of a Battle Wizard of The People of life. All wore fine scents and their best discreet jewelry, and Mark, Talia and Alilia also wore their crowns and sashes of office, since this was to be a state wedding.

“Well don’t we look fine.” Val smiled as she regarded herself in a mirror.

“Thanks Caria, you’ve done a wonderful job.” Talia told her with a quick hug.

“Bah.” Caria protested with a laugh. “With subjects as attractive as all of you, the standard preparations are all that were required. Any woman in the city could have done the same.”

“Perhaps, but perhaps not as well.” Mark chuckled as he swept his new mother-in-law up in a hug and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Put me down, you great handsome oaf!” she laughed. “You’ll get me all flustered, and I still need to prepare myself!”

“Flustered, is it?” Alilia teased as Mark set her mother down. “Did you know Mother, that Mark honestly considers myself and Talia to be the two most beautiful females on Kellaran? And of course Dalia and Nemia look the same as Talia, so it was perhaps inevitable that both would eventually share his bed on occasion. And, since you look just like me except for hair color…”

“Shut up, you naughty child!” Caria laughed in embarrassed exasperation as she blushed a pretty pink and gave Alilia a playful swat on the behind. “Off with you all to The Hall of Anticipation! I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”

“All right, we’ll see you then.” Alilia smiled as she gave her mother a quick kiss. As soon as the two stepped apart, Mark Translocated the six of them.

They looked around the large ovoid room for a moment before Fire asked; “So what do we do now?”

“Now we have some Hilsith’s Herbal Tea.” Talia laughed as she headed for the drinks cabinet. “It’s gotten quite popular you know, largely due to the fact that we had it on our first wedding day, which was widely reported on in great detail. Hilsith is actually getting quite wealthy from it.”

“Traditionally, the bride and groom always wait here while the guests arrive and are seated and the decorations are finalized.” Alilia told them with a smile as they seated themselves in the largest grouping of sofas, loveseats and armchairs. “It gives them one last chance to have some quiet and private time before they’re joined and all the celebrating begins. It also gives them a chance to reflect on what they’re about to do, and to be sure it’s what they really want. Those who are truly unsure tend to change their minds about the whole thing while waiting in this room.”

“Yes, we know all that Mother.” Val told her with an exasperated smile. “We know that Father and Talia used the time to learn the ceremony and to get to know each other better, and that you and Gorsh fornicated enthusiastically here for over an hour and were almost two minutes late to your own wedding, which I find quite amusing.

“The question was; what do we do now?”

“Ah. Well we relax and enjoy some conversation, of course, and wait for the rest of the wedding party to arrive.” Mark chuckled as he cuddled Alilia on his lap.

“They keep Preserved urns of this and five other hot drinks fresh and hot over there.” Talia announced as she arrived with a tray and handed out steaming mugs. “This might have been there for months, but it’s still delicious. They have Bhia honey too.”